Published 5:30 am, Thursday, June 28, 2001

Travelers get a view of inspiring artwork, and the pupils got a taste of working together while expressing their ideas through art.

Becky Barrows, art teacher at the school, said the students learned "their world is bigger than Aldine. They have artwork that the whole world is seeing."

The young artists chose the future, diversity and education as their subjects for the murals, which consisted of one three-paneled mural and four smaller murals.

"The big mural said, `If you can dream.' It had a pencil turning into a spaceship going to the moon," Barrow said. "It had a big book unfolding and, in the middle, building blocks going up, with the city in the background.

"It was really positive. If you can dream, you can do anything."

The other panels represented four other aspects of the school -- visual arts, sports, drama and music.

Tina Ceppi, public service representative at Bush Intercontinental Airport, called the mural "very, very clever."

The school was paired with the airport as part of Houston Mayor Lee Brown's Adopt-A-School Program.

The airport furnished the plywood and the water-based outdoor paint used to create the murals.

"The murals are by the new A and B terminal parking garage, going into terminal B," Ceppi said.

After the construction work is completed, the murals will be placed in a permanent location at the airport.

Aldine Middle School was approached by a city liaison, Greg James, who came to the school and talked with officials about the project.

"I jumped at the chance," Barrows said. "We formed an art club on the spot, because we didn't have one at that point."